Stress is a normal, expected part of the human experience, but it seems that we have grown accustomed to more stress than our bodies can manage. We expect stress at home, at work, not to mention on a global scale during a crisis such as the pandemic. While we’re doing our best to mitigate the effects of stress immediately, the long-term consequences start to surface after months or years of exposure to too much stress.
Add to that, if you’re coping with a chronic illness, the stress of it all can also wear your adrenal glands down. That means that your adrenal glands, responsible for the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, are overworked and might be producing too much of it. To help your body recover and eliminate adrenal fatigue, you can add a few of the following steps to your 2022 healthy living plan.
Let your body recover with sleep
Sleep is your body’s much-needed time to detox and flush out all the remnants of the previous day, to help you replenish your energy levels for the day to come. At night, your body’s natural cleansing processes allow your mind and your body to balance your hormone production and recover.
To manage and truly eliminate adrenal fatigue, you need to ensure you have ample, quality sleep every night at the right time. A consistent sleep schedule helps you stay healthy and keep your body invigorated, without producing excess amounts of cortisol from being fatigued and burnt out.
Ditch sugar and caffeine
Stimulants that give you an immediate surge of energy or at least prevent the sensation of tiredness to develop, such as caffeine and sugar, can mess with your awareness of your own fatigue levels. These stimulants let you “push through” those stages of exhaustion and not get the rest your body desperately needs.
That’s why, once you’ve been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, you need to steer clear of sugar and caffeine. Listen to your body’s natural signals and rest when you need to. Start levelling out your own blood sugar levels with better nutrition, so as to avoid those cortisol-inducing sugar crashes.
Give your immune system a boost
If your immune system has been under too much stress recently, or if you’re dealing with a chronic health issue, your body is likely overflown with cortisol. To help your body recover properly and to support your immune system, you can use a combination of vitamins and adrenal gland-boosting nutrients such as the Adrenal Fatigue 4-Pack.
Rich in vitamin C as well as drops based on healthful herbs, the pack can help your adrenal glands slowly restore their normal function.
Food should not be an additional source of stress for your adrenal glands. On the contrary, you should use food as your fuel, to boost your energy levels and to make sure that you can keep cortisol production at a healthy level.
Devise a diet plan or work with a nutritionist to create one for you. Focus on a diet that aims to recover your adrenal gland function and to make sure that you’re not overproducing cortisol. Balancing your hormones with the right foods means choosing nutrient-dense foods with plenty of essential minerals and vitamins that will fortify your immune system as well as your mental wellness.
Focus on your mental wellbeing, too
While we’re on the subject, as wonderful as nutrition is for creating a healthy foundation for a healthy mind, you also need to be mindful of your mental and emotional state. Introduce de-stressing rituals that will slowly aid your body in banishing too much cortisol and contribute to the normal function of your adrenal glands.
Let a medical professional guide you when you’re choosing the best ways to de-stress, be it exercise, meditation, getting a pet, or counseling. It’s crucial to listen to your mind and your body and to create a wholesome plan to battle adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue is often the consequence of systemic health troubles, such as the lack of sleep, a subpar diet, and too much stress. To help you manage your health from a holistic perspective, you can schedule a consultation with a functional medicine expert and get your life back on track as soon as possible.